Periods and bowels - apologies, unpleasant!

[SinkGirl]

Sorry if this is TMI, avoid if you’re eating your breakfast!

I have endometriosis and adenomyosis, diagnosed 15 years ago. Six surgeries and every hormone treatment later, I have no more options left really. Currently on no hormone treatment as they all cause too many side effects. I just take morphine - my consultant has offered me a hysterectomy when I’m ready (I’m 37 and have twins, both have ASD / other disabilities and it’s not likely we will have another child but I don’t feel ready to make it impossible and we don’t know what things will look like in a year or two - I’m thinking by 40 I will either have had another or be ready for the hyst I’m making do until then).

I used to have a lot of bowel issues, misdiagnosed as IBS - I would have diarrhoea every time I ate, throughout my cycle. I had extensive adhesions removed from my bowel (over 10 years ago) and the problem resolved completely.

Currently on my period and woke up with the most awful bowel pain. Just had some excruciating bowel movements which triggered a huge amount of vaginal bleeding. The poo itself was like acid but not diarrhoea, very odd.

Is this something other people get when they don’t have endo? Or do I need to consider that the bastard stuff has spread again and may not be on / in my bowel? I have no idea if there was any blood in my stool as there was so much bleeding going on generally (this has settled again now).

Any experience of this? I emailed the nurse at the endo clinic to see if she would ask my consultant if he’d be willing to do another laparoscopy instead of a hysterectomy, to get me through the next couple of years. Each period is worse than the last.

I hope my sister doesn't hate me for this but she has IBS quite badly. When she is on, her progesterone drop (progesterone stops the muscles contracting) leaves her virtually incontinent. She has explosive, unpredictable diarrhoea throughout her period. Immodium helps a bit.

‘Period shits’ are a thing yes. I have them every time. In fact it’s a good indicator my period is knocking at the door! They then continue as you describe, the acid you mention is very familiar. I have neither of your medical conditions. Hope you are feeling better soon and all is well.

When I had periods, the week or so running up to my period was excruciating. The constipation was horrendous. Nothing shifted it.

The day my period started would result in large, near continuous, painful bowel movements.

Not diarrhoea, but fairly solid. And smelly.

I was so grateful for those poo sprays when they came out.

Period shots as so eloquently put above are a thing but why you’re describing isn’t period shits. I have stage 4 endo and wish I hadn’t listened to half the people I talked to about my symptoms as it held me back getting seen to. Drop in progesterone does mean that the bowels behave differently at the onset of your period, however, excruciating pain and blood in your poo is not normal and if you’ve already been treated as many times as you have for endo then it sounds like it’s endo regrowth.
People do this all the time, you say you’re suffering and of course whoever you’re talking to agrees and says they suffer the same without stopping to trying that actually having a looser bowel movement n your period is not the same as being doubled over in pain with Bowles adhesions....

definitely get this checked out. It could ve a recurrence of your old problems, or something different. Any prolonged change in bowel habits needs checking out.

Sorry - I wasn’t trying to normalise these symptoms and I’m very much aware that many women who have these symptoms will have endo and be unaware of it.

Will see how it goes and what the consultant says. Like I say I’ve had no bowel issues related to endo since they removed all the adhesions from my bowel. It’s always more painful to go because of the muscle spasms etc but actual bowel movement issues are new for me.

I will definitely get it checked out if it continues, who knows, maybe it’s a bug and a coincidence - I’ll get in touch with my consultant, or if it continues once my period finishes I’ll see my GP :)

I clicked on this expecting it to be about being 'loose' when you first come on, which is normal.

It sounds far more complicated and needs medical advice.

Thanks. It’s tricky because GPs know bugger all about endo generally, and just say “well you have endo so it’s probably that”. I’ve stopped seeing them about anything gynae or related because it’s just pointless. Will definitely keep an eye on it and see them if it continues. I’m so used to awful pain and flooding and possibly underreact to these things now - I know when I’m talking to others I tell them that new symptoms need to be investigated so I should take my own advice :)